What is Ebb and Flow Hydroponics and How Does it Work?

Ebb and flow hydroponics is a method of growing plants hydroponically that is known for its reliability, simplicity of operation and low cost of investment. Pots or a flood tray are filled with a grow media such as gravel, clay pellets, lava rock etc. These do not function like soil or add nutrition to the plants but will anchor the roots and will function as a temporary reserve of water and nutrients. The hydroponic solution floods the system four to six times a day and is allowed to drain away in between flood cycles.
With this system a water tight flood tray or pot, containing either clean gravel, clay pellets or lava rock is used as the rooting medium. The system is then periodically flooded for short periods of time (5 to 15 minutes) with a nutrient solution pumped from a reservoir. By placing the reservoir below the flood tray, with a over flow drain, the nutrient solution can drain back by gravity through the pump with the same line that supplied the water and nutrients during the flood cycle. Our favorite media is lava rock with this type of system. Lava rock drains quickly and traps air and will not leave a clay residue if using clay pellets, which can clog the water pump after time.

Aeration of an ebb and flood system is one of the most important things of the system. Let me explain, when the system floods it is in a deep water culture mode. Your reservoir may contain an air delivery system such as a air stone to keep the water saturated with oxygen and eliminate a pathogen problem. During the flood cycle the oxygenated air is pumped into the tray or bucket for 5 to 15 minutes. During this 5 to 15 minute period there is no additional air and oxygen being supplied to the tray or bucket. So even though you are now in deep water culture mode your plants are not receiving the amount of air and oxygen as if they were in a deep water culture system. The reason why is a deep water culture system has air constantly pumped into the reservoir 24 hours a day in which the roots are submerged. During the ebb cycle, or draining of the tray or bucket, air is now pulled down into the grow media supplying oxygen to the plants. At this point until the next flood cycle the roots again are being deprived of fresh air and oxygen.

Drawbacks to Ebb and flood hydroponic systems:
1. Pathogens in reservoir, flood tray or pot due to stagnated water during drain time which can contaminate the entire system due to the shared water source.
2. Limited amount of oxygen available during flooding of tray or pot.
3. Limited amount of oxygen available while in the ebb or drain stage.

Is there a solution to the problem above?  Ebb and flow hydroponic system to help eliminate the problems above. By adding Air Injection Technology at the very bottom of the media in your current flood tray or pot you will eliminate the drawbacks to a ebb and flood hydroponic system. You will also increase the plants growth rate and have healthier plants. 1. Pathogens in the flood tray or pot are eliminated because there is a constant supply of oxygen 24 hours a day weather in the flood stage or drain stage. 2. Constant supply of oxygen during the flood stage just like true deep water culture. 3. During the ebb or drain stage there is constant air being delivered to the plants roots 24 hours a day weather in the flood or drain stage. This will bring your current Ebb and flow hydroponics system up to date and will allow you to take full advantage of your ebb and flood hydroponics system at minimal cost.

Hydroponic growing leads to tastier vegetables

Growing vegetables hydroponically leads to a more expensive, but tastier veggie, cumberlink.com reports.

Tomatoes are the king crop in hydroponics because of the demand for them in early spring and late fall when field tomatoes aren't available. The challenge is to sell them at $2.99 per pound when field tomatoes are going for 99 cents, says Mark Toigo, 42, who has run hydroponic greenhouses for the last 15 years, among other duties, at the family-owned Toigo Orchards in Southampton Township, Cumberland County. Hydroponic grower Barb Rose, 52, co-owner of Beck-n-Rose of North Middleton Township, agrees with Toigo. She also developed a niche market in the last three years --- a few chefs at "better restaurants who care what tomatoes look and taste like," Rose says. She counts among her customers Fetter Brookside Market south of Carlisle, Mountain Lakes west of Carlisle, Oak Grove Farms of Mechanicsburg and the Butcher Shop in Chambersburg. For next season, all Beck-n-Rose produce is committed to current customers, says Rose, a former marketing manager for a start-up software company that sold last year for $40 million. "You do need to be a manager and a marketer" to be profitable, Toigo says, raising his voice above the half-dozen four-foot-wide fans that ventilate his 90- by 130-foot greenhouse off South Mountain Estates Road. He steps over piles of vines on the concrete greenhouse floor, the result of cropping the tops off tomato plants that have the last of the crop ripening on the vines. He will plant new tomato vines again in January for harvest beginning in April. Although growers would like to produce tomatoes through the winter, year-round tomato production isn't feasible this far north. They say it doesn't have the flavor of food grown in soil," says Brubeck, who sells mostly to restaurants and to some grocery stores in Cumberland, Dauphin and Lebanon counties.

Original source:
http://www.cumberlink.com/articles/2005/08/07/business/busi01.txt

Zinc: Importance and Current situation

Zaghum Sattar & Abdul Saboor Butt

Institute of soil & Environmental Sciences, University of Agriculture, Faisalabad

Zinc (Zn) is among those minerals that were first considered as essential for plants, animals and human. Zn is a basic essential trace mineral element for normal healthy growth in plants, animals and humans that uptake as a divalent cation (Zn²⁺) by plants. Zn is playing principal metabolically role in plants and required in the carbonic enzyme present in all photosynthetic tissues, and also required for chlorophyll biosynthesis. Zinc is one of the essential micronutrient for the normal healthy growth and reproduction of crop plants. Zn plays an important role in plant metabolism by influencing the activities of enzymes, hydrogenase and carbonic anhydrase, stabilization of ribosomal fractions and also synthesis of cytochrome.  Zn also activate plant enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism, integrity maintenance of cellular membranes, synthesis of nucleic acids and specific proteins, regulate auxin synthesis and pollen formation. The regulation of the gene expression required for the tolerance of environmental stresses in plants also depend on the Zn.Zinc deficiency involves in the abnormalities development in plants as deficiency symptoms such as stunted growth, chlorosis and smaller leaves, spikelet sterility. Zn deficiency can also adversely affect the quality of harvested products; plants susceptibility to injury by high sunlight or temperature intensity and to infection by fungal diseases can also increase. A zinc deficiency affects the capacity for water uptake and transport in plants. Zn involves in the synthesis of tryptophan which is a precursor of IAA, and in the production of growth hormoneauxin. Zinc deficiency is common in humans, animals and plants. More than 30% world’s population suffers from Zn deficiency. Zinc deficiency is found to be more common in developing countries due to low Zn in their diet. Zinc plays a part.in the basic roles of. Cellular functions in all living organisms and also involved in the human immune system. The optimum dietary intake for human adults is 12-15 mg Zn per day. Zinc acts as a catalytic or structural component in various body enzymes.Unsatisfactory intake and improper absorption of Zinc in the body may cause deficiency of Zn.  Zn malnutrition in humans can result in many fatal and other diseases like hair and memory loss, skin problems and weakness in eye side and body muscles. Insufficient intake of Zn during pregnancy in women also causes stunted brain development of the fetus. Infertility has also been observed in Zn deficient men. Zinc deficiency may cause congenital diseases like Acrodermatitis enteropathica. According to FAO/WHO recommendations an average male need 11 mg of Zn daily while an average female needs 9 mg of Zn. During pregnancy and lactation, the female needs 13 mg to 14 mg of Zn daily. Infants from 7 months to 3 years need 3 mg, 4 to 8 years need 5 mg and children from 9 to 13 years need 8 mg of Zn daily. In Pakistan, Zn deficiency is common in children and in women.Trace elements such as Zn are contained in all soils in measurable amounts. However, these concentrations can vary considerably. The overall mean total Zn concentration in soil is around 55 mg Zn kg^-1. A typical range of Zn in soils is from 10 to 300 mg Zn kg^-1. These values do not include contaminated soils, which may have much higher zinc concentrations.However, plant available Zn is very low as compared to its total amount. For a better Zn nutrition of human beings, cereal grain should contain around 40-60 mg Zn kg^-1 where current situation is 10-30 mg Zn kg^-1. Soils with low zinc availability for plant uptake represent nearly half of the cereal-growing areas of the world. The countries most affected by zinc deficient soils are Pakistan, India, Iran, China and Turkey with 50-70% of arable land classified as zinc deficient.

Indian family makes a breakthrough in hydroponics

by Mike Adams

Hydroponics, the practice of growing plants in water instead of soil, received a giant lift from a New Delhi family that created a purely organic nutrient mix that has sustained tomatoes and Arjun.

Original source:
http://www.business-standard.com/common/storypage.php?storyflag=y&leftnm=lmnu5&leftindx=5&lselect=2&chklogin=N&autono=202585

Details

An Indian hobbyist has created a purely organic nutrient mixture for growing plants in water. Although it is still an evolving science, hydroponic agriculture (growing plants in water solution rather than soil) is spreading fast the world over. The nutritional requirement of the plants in this system of soilless farming is met by the nutrient mixtures, called hydroponics fertiliser mixtures, added to the water in which the plant roots are kept submerged. These mixtures are made of chemical plant nutrients. A breakthrough has now been achieved by an Indian hydroponics hobbyist in creating a purely organic nutrient mixture for growing plants in water. This wholly chemical-free plant growth solution has been tested successfully for growing several plants, including common vegetables like tomato and arbi and some high value medicinal plants like Brahmi, Arjun and Cineraria. Indeed, a good deal of research is underway in this system of soilless farming in the US and Europe but not much headway has been made anywhere in organic hydroponics. Of course, some hydroponics enthusiasts abroad have been experimenting with various kinds of organic manures and mixtures of plants, but successful and commercially viable organic hydroponics models are still not available. His daughter, Shweta Singh, a Delhi University botany student, has been assisting him in discovering and further improving the biofertiliser mixture for growing plants in ordinary water. “I will work on it for a couple of years more before thinking of launching commercial production of this bio-fertiliser for hydroponics. However, if some government organisation, such as the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), comes forward, I am willing to cooperate with it in promoting organic hydroponics in India,” he says. He believes that nearly 200 commercially important plants can be grown by hydroponics technique.

Source: Article taken from Natural News, only for information purpose

Panicum tyrgidum: A resilient fodder and excellent biofuel crop

Asad Saeed, Mohsin Tanveer, Shahbaz Atta Tung, Ali Ahsan Bajwa

Global  environment  is  rapidly  changing  due  to  increase  in  global warming, associated with CO₂ concentration  leading  to  higher  ambient  temperatures. Expected reduction of agricultural production will cause serious problems. These threats are aggravated by limited freshwater resources and impending soil salinization.  Irrigated  agricultural production  already  has  decreased  20–35%  due  to  increasing  levels of  salinity  Fast  growing  population  is  suffering  from severe  shortage  of  water  and  food  which  will  aggravate  with  time. These  problems  could  be  partially  alleviated  by  utilization  of  low quality  irrigation  water  such  as  saline  groundwater  or  seawater  on appropriate  wastelands  for  production  of  non-conventional  crops especially  in  arid  regions.  Most  of  the  conventional  crops  cannot tolerate  salinity  even  al  low  concentrations.  It  is  therefore  necessary to  develop  sustainable  biological  production  systems  for  brackish  or  high  salinity  water  irrigation.  The  development  of  suitable halophytic  crops  has  been  considered  for  the  production  of  food, forage,  oil,  wood,  timber,  ornamental,  medicine  and  biofuel.  A  candidate  for  an economic  and  ecologically  sustainable  production  system  at  arid conditions  could  be  Panicum  turgidum  Forssk. It  xerohalophyte  is  a tussock-grass,  commonly  found in  the  salt  deserts  of  southern  Pakistan but also  in  other  arid  areas. Panicum turgidum is a perennial, growing as dense bushes up to 1 m tall. It bends over and roots at the nodes. Leaves few, stems hard, bamboo-like, solid, smooth and polished; 2.5-3 mm in diameter, emitting from the nodes panicles of branches in tufts from a swollen base with panicle terminal, 3-10 cm long; spikelets 3-4 mm long, solitary. The roots are remarkable for their clothing of root hairs to which fine sand adheres, giving them a felty appearance.  It is distributed from Pakistan west through the Arabian peninsula to northern Africa. In various parts of world, it has been renowned as Taman or tuman (Sudan), afezu (Nigerian Sahel), guinchi (eastern Sahara), thaman (Kuwait), markouba (Mauritania), du-ghasi (Somalia). It is native to Dead Sea Depression, at -380 m at Shor-es-Safiyeh, to 3 200 m in the Tibesti Mountains of the central Sahara. In the open tussock communities in Mauritania and the western Sahara plants survive by dissociating themselves from one another rather than growing in association. The root-stock is stout and the root fibres strong and woody; the root hairs bind particles of fine sand by the extrusion of a glue which allows them to absorb more moisture from the soil.

It is usually found on deep dune sand, but will grow in a well-drained latosol.  The plant usually spreads by the bending over of the stems until the nodes reach the ground, where they take root to form a new plant.  No preparation is necessary in the sandy environment in which it grows. In the Sahel it begins flowering in August, continues flowering through to February and is mature in June. The tuft grows again each year. There is a variation within the species, and there are forms with high grain yields. The vegetative yields of these forms in Near Eastern collections were up to twice those from Mauritania, especially at low levels of nutrients. Main attributed of this crop is its drought tolerance, sand-binding characteristics and grain production, while Main deficiency is its woodiness.  It is native to hot, dry, arid climates with 4-38°N, longitude 17°W-80°E.  The young leaves and shoots are very palatable; even in the dry state it is still eaten by camels and donkeys. There is little response to nitrogen, but some to phosphorus and potash.  The Tuareg inhabitants of the Ahaggar Mountains in the central Sahara eat the grain. It is ground into flour and made into porridge. It is also used for thatch, and mats (the Tuaregs use the stems with a weft of thin leather strips). The ashes are added to tobacco for chewing, and the powder from ground stems is used for healing wounds. It is valuable for fixing dunes in the 100-400 mm rainfall areas. In the neighbourhood of the Red Sea, P. turgidum covers the whole of the coastal plain. Panicum turgidum is a perennial bunchgrass, growing in dense bushes up to 1 metre (3.3 ft) tall. It has roots at the nodes which are covered in hairs to which fine sand adheres creating a felty appearance.

P. turgidum is a remarkable drought-resistant species. Established plants may survive for several years without rain. It appears to be tolerant to fairly high salinity stress. Therefore, it is a good species for stabilizing loose soil. Since many native grasses of the coastal strip of Egypt are spring growers, the summer growth of P. turgidum may make this species suitable as complementary forage for the deteriorated lands of the western coastal desert of Egypt. P. turgidum has the merit of being resistant to drought and also an effective sand-binding xerophytes. Wind-borne sand usually accumulates around the bushes of P. Turgidum forming isolated mounds that gradually enlarge and eventually coalesce and form sandy patches that cover the original gravely or stony bed. Thus, it is one of the best grasses to protect the soil against transportation by both wind and water. Accordingly, P. turgidum is usually used in many rehabilitation programmes in arid regions. Also due to the high palatability of this grass it is considered an important fodder and grazing plant for many animals, especially in summer when annuals disappear and shortage in natural forage occurs. Also, in dry conditions, P. turgidum provides grazing as standing hay. Since many native grasses of the coastal strip of Egypt are spring growers, the summer growth of P. turgidum may make this species suitable as complementary forage for the deteriorated lands of the western coastal desert of Egypt. Panicum turgidum is halophyte with remarkable importance in biofuel production. As stated before, it is distributed in coastal area of Karachi, thus can be employed in biofuel production.

Panicum tyrgidum: A resilient fodder and excellent biofuel crop

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GMOs and pesticides create super-pests

One of the expected advantages to genetically modified crops is their proposed ability to withstand onslaughts from weeds and other pests that could damage or destroy crops. Unfortunately, that’s not the way mother nature works. Yes, these crops may be resistant to the original stains of weeds and pests they were engineered for, but they are not resistant to the new super-weeds that have come in their place.

Mutations and resistance

Similar to bacterial infections in humans, once a host becomes resistant to a strain, that strain simply mutates so that it can stay one step ahead. The cycle then continues and new pesticides and GMOs must be formulated to withstand the new threats. These new threats; however, become more and more difficult to kill which is why stronger and more dangerously toxic pesticides must continue to be developed. This unnatural cycle cannot last forever though and the day will come when these super-weeds and super-pests will prevail.

Things are getting worse, fast

According to research professor Charles Benbrook at the Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources at WSU, genetically engineered crops have led to an increase in total pesticide use, by 404 million pounds in the last 14 years. “Resistant weeds have become a major problem for many farmers reliant on GE crops, and are now driving up the volume of herbicide needed each year by about 25 percent,” Benbrook said. In recent years, more than two dozen weed species have become immune to Roundup’s principal ingredient, glyphosate. “Things are getting worse, fast,” says Benbrook “In order to deal with rapidly spreading resistant weeds, farmers are being forced to expand use of older, higher-risk herbicides.”

To illustrate the problem…

The use of Bt corn is a great way to illustrate the resistance problem. Bt corn is genetically changed to express the Bacillus thuringiensis toxin, which is toxic to insect pests. By law, farmers in the U.S. who plant Bt corn are required to plant non-Bt corn nearby. These non-GMO fields are to provide a location to harbor pests. The concept behind this technique is to slow the evolution of the pests’ resistance to the Bt pesticide. Clearly the problem has gotten way out of hand when there is a law that exists specifically to slow the progression of resistance in pests. Instead of recognizing that the current system is broken, big agriculture companies like Monsanto turn a blind eye and force farmers to increase the use of pesticides.

Mother Nature’s design

Mother Nature has a very special system that does not involve man-made chemicals or genetically modified crops. If fact, this is one of the very reasons mid-sized organic farming is the most efficient kind. “And how do crops survive the pests without GMOs, chemical fertilizers or pesticides?” you might ask. The answer is simple; centuries old techniques such as crop rotation, inter-cropping, residue management, roguing, regulating seed quality and applying natural insecticides are used. These sometimes labor intensive techniques have no place in the industrial agriculture system who’s goal is to automate and standardize as much of the process as possible in an attempt to turn out the largest yield and the most profits.

Sources for this article include:

http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/crops/insects/fad64s00.html

http://www.huffingtonpost.com

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genetically_modified_maize#Bt_corn

By: John McKiernan

Source: Natural News

Distributor Required

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Soil management Practices

Besides storing more carbon and making more efficient use of nitrogen, good soil management will provide economic benefits through increased productivity, more efficient use of nutrients, and improved air and water quality.

Agricultural soils act as efficient repositories for carbon, but under certain conditions soils also release carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere. Plants fix atmospheric carbon into foliage and roots, which eventually becomes soil organic matter. Soil organic matter is fundamental to healthy soil.

While much of the stored carbon is released back into the atmosphere when plants decay, some of it remains trapped in the soil as organic matter. Soil conditions and management will determine how much carbon is stored at any one time.

Through denitrification and other processes soils also release excess nitrogen into the atmosphere as nitrous oxide and nitrogen gas.

The following farming practices can reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions from soils.

"Low till" (Conservation tillage)

In conservation tillage, crops are directly planted into the previous year’s stubble, with minimum or no tillage. This practice not only reduces fossil fuel consumption, but also increases soil organic matter (compared to conventional tillage*) that otherwise would be emitted as carbon dioxide. Conservation tillage, along with reduced use of summerfallow, can store from 0.3 to 0.5 tonnes of carbon per hectare per year in the soil, depending on weather and moisture conditions.

As well, research from the University of Saskatchewan has shown there’s more available organic nitrogen in long-term zero tillage fields than in fields tilled using conventional methods.

Choosing to seed with narrow, low disturbance openers (knives or discs) has the further advantage of minimal seedbed disturbance. Crops seeded with low disturbance disc and knife openers have shown improved production and fewer weeds over crops seeded with higher disturbance openers, such as spoons or sweeps.

Additional benefits of conservation tillage include enhanced water infiltration, moisture conservation, reduced labour requirements, and less runoff and soil erosion due to wind and water.

Crop rotations

The best crop rotations should not only effectively manage nutrients and reduce pest problems, but also improve soil quality. While the environmental benefits of certain crop rotations are clear, market constraints may limit which crops are included. Some suggestions:

• The addition of legume crops in crop rotations will fix nitrogen. Perennial legumes, such as alfalfa, increase soil organic matter, while the residues contain nitrogen, which can easily be broken down to be used by subsequent crops.
• Crops with high nitrogen requirements, such as corn or cereals, used as a follow-up to legumes will capitalize on the fixed nitrogen in the soil.
• Planting a winter cereal or another cover crop after harvest (if timing permits) will help remove surplus nitrogen. Cover crops also store nutrients for the crops that follow them, as well as reduce weeds, host beneficial insects, and improve soil quality.
• Forage production is a further way to reduce emissions. Increasing forage production not only increases soil organic carbon, but it also uses surplus soil nutrients, reducing the risk of nitrogen losses, including denitrification.
• Crop mixtures, such as alfalfa-bromegrass, use soil nitrogen more efficiently and reduce the potential for nitrogen losses to the environment.

Marginal land

Marginal lands require the same inputs as productive land, but produce lower yields and profit. By planting these marginal or fragile lands to perennial cover, farmers can improve profit margins, create a carbon sink and provide natural habitat.

The best solution for flood-prone areas or lands with excess moisture may be restoring them back to wetlands. Wetlands can remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, reduce downstream flooding, help to clean water and provide wildlife habitat.

Stubble burning

On average, more than 90 percent of all carbon in crop residues is lost (mostly as carbon dioxide) when it is burned. Alternate uses for cereal straw include chopping and spreading back onto the fields, baling, grazing, and using for bio-energy feedstock and bio-fibre.

Soil drainage

Since saturated soils during the growing season are more prone to denitrification and producing nitrous oxide emissions, improving drainage encourages efficient crop growth and uptake of nitrogen fertilizer.

Drainage improvements may include enhanced surface drainage, installation of tile drains, or the use of trees, shrubs and other perennial crops to remove excess water. In some cases, it may be more appropriate to store water and refrain from annual crop production and fertilizer applications.

Soil cover

Crop residues left on the surface help prevent soil erosion.  Manitoba Agriculture recommends that 60 percent of the soil surface should be covered with crop residue in the fall to prevent erosion.

Summerfallow

Summerfallow is already a dying practice in Manitoba. But it is worth noting that besides leaving fields susceptible to wind and soil erosion, soils that were frequently summerfallowed usually had reduced soil organic matter compared to continuously cropped soils.

Source:http://www.climatechangeconnection.org

Hydroponic fodder

Is it a viable option for feeding sheep, goats and other livestock?

Year-round production

Although the methods of hydroponic fodder production date back to the 1930's, there is renewed interest in hydroponic fodder as a feedstuff for sheep, goats, and other livestock.

Hydroponics is a method of growing plants without soil. Only moisture and nutrients are provided to the growing plants. There are many advantages to hydroponics. Hydroponic growing systems produce a greater yield over a shorter period of time in a smaller area than traditionally-grown crops.

There is a reduction or exclusion of pesticides and herbicides because the plants are in a more protected growing environment. Hydroponics is a year-round growing system that produces a consistent quantity and quality of plant material, regardless of outside weather.

Fodder (livestock feed) can be grown hydroponically much the same as vegetables, flowers, and other plants. Hydroponic fodder systems are usually used to sprout cereal grains, such as barley, oats, wheat, sorghum, and corn, or legumes, such as alfalfa, clover, or cow peas. Barley is the most commonly grown forage, because it usually gives the best yield of nutrients (4). Forage mixtures are another option.

A hydroponic fodder system usually consists of a framework of shelves on which metal or plastic trays are stacked. After soaking overnight, a layer of seeds is spread over the base of the trays. During the growing period, the seeds are kept moist, but not saturated. They are supplied with moisture and (sometimes) nutrients, usually via drip or spray irrigation. Holes in the trays facilitate drainage and the waste water is collected in a tank.

The seeds will usually sprout within 24 hours and in 5 to 8 days have produced a 6 to 8 inch high grass mat. After the mat is removed from the tray, it can go into a feed mixer or be hand-fed to livestock. Livestock will eat the whole thing: seeds, roots, and grass. There is minimal waste. Livestock may not eat the fodder initially because it is novel, but should soon learn to eat it with relish.

Hydroponic fodder systems make very efficient use of water and land.

While it is possible to grow hydroponic fodder in any building, including a garage or basement, a greenhouse is ideal because temperature, light, and humidity can be precisely controlled. Efficient, year-round production of green fodder is not possible unless environmental conditions are optimal: approximately 70°F, 60 percent humidity, and 16 hours of light. For this reason, hydroponic growing systems usually require significant investment.

Hydroponic fodder systems come in a range of sizes and capacities. Large fodder sheds may produce several tons of fodder per day, whereas a mini-fodder system may produce only 10 lbs. per day. It is possible to build your own system, or a "turn-key" system can be purchased from a commercial company. Investments range from a few hundred dollars to six figures.

As feed for livestock

Fodder sprouts are tender and young, the equivalent of fresh green grass. As such, they are highly palatable and nutritious to all types and classes of livestock. On a dry matter basis, hydroponic fodder compares favorably with other nutritious feedstuffs.

Comparative nutrition of different feedstuffs (DM)
Feedstuff	% CP1	% TDN1	mcal/kg
ME1	NEm1	NEg1	NEl1
Alfalfa Hay	17	58	2.1	1.3	0.6	1.3
Barley grain	12	84	3.0	2.0	1.3	0.9
Barley sprouts3	21	71	2.6	0.75	0.47	0.74
Orchardgrass, fresh	24	65	2.4	1.5	0.8	1.5
Orchardgrass hay	10	59	2.1	1.3	0.6	1.3
Soybean meal	49	84	3.0	2.0	1.3	1.9

Sprouting changes the nutritive characteristics of the grain. Enzymes break down storage components into more simple and digestible fractions; for example, starch to sugars, proteins to amino acids, and lipids to free fatty acids. There is an increase in fiber and some vitamins and a decrease in phytic acid, an anti-nutritional factor (11).

With sprouting, there is a reduction in total energy. The increase in protein percentage is due to the dry matter loss . In fact, the downside to hydroponic fodder is its high moisture content. According to various forage analysis reports (3), the dry matter content of hydroponic fodder is only 12 to 15 percent, compared to almost 90 percent in (unsprouted) grains and hays (1). Even corn silage and haylage have considerably more dry matter than sprouts (1).
If you do not consider its high moisture content, the per pound price of hydroponic fodder seems very economical, around $0.06 per pound (or $120 per ton) (3). Without further analysis, this sounds like a great way to reduce the cost of feeding livestock. But when the wet cost is converted to a dry matter basis, feed cost becomes very high. At 12 percent dry matter (DM), wet feed that costs 6 cents per pound actually costs 50 cents per pound of dry matter. This is considerable more expensive than most other feedstuffs, as shown in the tables below.

Comparative costs of different feed costs (as-fed)
Feedstuff	Cost	Unit	$/lb
Barley sprouts3	$0.06	pound	0.060
Orchardgrass hay	$60	700-lb bale	0.086
Alfalfa Hay, mid bloom	$250	ton	0.125
Barley grain	$6	bushel	0.125
Soybean meal	$480	ton	0.240

Cost per pound of dry matter (DM)
Feedstuff	$/lb	% DM1	$/lb DM
Alfalfa Hay	0.125	89	0.14
Barley grain	0.125	89	0.14
Orchardgrass hay	0.086	88	0.20
Soybean meal	0.24	91	0.26
Barley sprouts3	0.063	123	0.50

Because of its low dry matter content, the cost of nutrients in hydroponic fodder is also considerably more expensive than other feedstuffs.

Cost per pound of energy (TDN)
Feedstuff	$/lb DM	% TDN1	$/lb TDN
Barley grain	0.14	84	0.17
Orchardgrass hay	0.10	58	0.17
Alfalfa Hay	0.14	58	0.24
Barley sprouts3	0.50	71	0.70

Cost per pound of protein (CP)
Feedstuff	$/lb DM	% CP1	$/lb CP
Soybean meal	0.26	49	0.54
Alfalfa hay	0.14	17	0.82
Barley sprouts3	0.50	21	2.40

Nutritional requirements of livestock are based on dry matter intake. If fed to livestock at a rate of 2 percent of their body weight (a common recommendation), hydroponic fodder will only meet a fraction of most animals' nutritional requirements, especially the higher producing ones. Thus, hydroponic fodder, while excellent feed, is only a nutritional supplement and an expensive one at that.

Energy (TDN) requirements met by feeding fodder @ 2% BW (as-fed)
Animal Stage of production	lb. fodder fed	lb. TDN supplied by fodder	TDN requirements lb. DM/day1	% TDN requirements met by hydro fodder
As-fed	DM
154-lb. ewe maintenance	3.08	0.37	0.26	1.36	19.3
154- lb. ewe late gestation, twin lambs	3.08	0.37	0.26	2.66	9.9
154-lb. ewe early lactation, twin lambs	3.08	0.37	0.26	2.88	9.1
176-lb. ewe, parlor milked (5.2-8.7 lbs milk/day)	3.52	0.42	0.30	4.42	6.8
Growing, 44-lb. Boer buck ( 0.44 lb/day)	0.88	0.11	0.07	1.41	5.3
Growing, 66-lb. lamb (4 mos. old, 0.66 lb/day)	1.32	0.16	0.11	2.18	5.2
132-lb. doe, parlor milked (10-14 lbs milk/day)	2.64	0.32	0.22	5.50	4.1
Calculations in table lb. fodder fed (as-fed) = BW x 0.02. [Example: 154 lbs. x 0.02 = 3.08 lbs. as-fed] lb. fodder fed (DM) = lb. fodder fed (as-fed) x 0.12 (% DM). [Example: 3.08 x 0.12 = 0.37 lbs DM fed] lb. TDN supplied by fodder = lb. fodder fed (DM) x 0.71 (% TDN). [Example: 0.37 x 0.71 = 0.26 lbs. TDN] % TDN supplied by fodder = lb. TDN supplied by fodder ÷ TDN requirements (DM). [Example: 0.26 ÷ 1.36 = 19.3% of TDN requirements]

Full feeding of sprouts is usually inappropriate due to the high moisture content of the feed, the high cost of the feed, and the scale which would be needed to produce sufficient dry matter (11).

Animal performance

Pigs eating fodder

The companies that market hydroponic fodder systems make many claims about hydroponic fodder as superior livestock feed: better gain, improved fertility, earlier heat cycles, improved fleece quality, improved immunity, better behavior and temperament, less manure, etc. Few of these claims have been substantiated or proven to be repeatable in experiments (5,11).

Over the years, in many different countries, and with different species (mostly cattle, pigs, and poultry), research trials have been conducted to assess the performance of livestock fed hydroponic green fodder (11). Across the many trials, there has been no consistent advantage to including green fodder in the diet of livestock, especially when it replaces highly nutritious feeds, such as grain (5,7). Even if there are benefits to hydroponic fodder, the benefits are usually outweighed by the costs.
Research is conflicting as to whether sprouting improves or reduces dry matter digestibility as compared to the raw grain. In a 2012 journal article, Iranian researchers reported no increases in quantity or quality of dry matter and nutrients with sprouting (10). While the companies claim that you'll get a 6 to 10-fold increase in weight from a pound unsprouted grain, they fail to mention that the increase (in weight) is almost all water (5,11).

At the same time, there is a strong need for more trials to determine the potential feeding value of hydroponic fodder, particularly with sheep and goats. Studies conducted in Italy in 2009 produced conflicting results with regards to milk production and welfare of sheep and goats (2,8). Another aspect that needs to be investigated is potential changes in the final product (meat and milk) as a result of replacing some of the animals' traditional diet with green fodder.

Other challenges

One of the biggest challenges to producing hydroponic fiber, especially commercial quantities, is mold (5, 11). Moldy sprouts can decrease animal performance and result in animal deaths (5, 11). Pre-treatment of seed with a sterilizing agent (e.g. hydrogen peroxide) is one strategy for preventing mold. Good hygiene in the system is also important. It is recommended that the growing trays be cleaned between crops with a chlorine based cleaning solution (11).

The downside to hydroponic fodder is its high moisture content.

Hydroponic fodder production requires a lot of labor. Time is needed to soak the seed, make up the nutrient solution, transfer the grain to the trays, load the trays onto the shelves, check the fodder daily for growth, remove the sprouted grain from the trays, wash and sterilize the trays, and feed the fodder to the livestock. Automation will reduce labor requirements, but may substantially increase investment costs.

In order to create a controlled growing environment, it can require considerable energy to grow hydroponic fodder (5). Solar power could be used to provide electricity, especially in remote, rural areas or third world countries.

Advantages of hydroponic fodder

Hydroponic fodder has several advantages over conventionally-produced fodder. Hydroponic fodder makes very efficient use of water (4,5,11). There is little waste water, as animals consume the recirculated water along with the feed. Since production is hydroponic, there is no leaching of nutrients into the environment. Hydroponic fodder production requires considerably less land to produce feed for livestock.

While hydroponic fodder is not likely to become a major source of feed for commercial livestock, it could be feasible under certain circumstances.

Dry and drought-prone regions
Hydroponic fodder production is probably best-suited to semi-arid, arid, and drought-prone regions of the world. By growing fodder indoors, crop failures would no longer be a risk. Good quality forage could be produced year-round. Feed supplies would be insured. Scarce water resources could be allocated more efficiently (4).

Limited land
In places where land values are extremely high or land is simply not readily available, hydroponic fodder has obvious advantages, as it can be produced in a small footprint. Because the fodder is produced continuously, there is no need for long-term feed storage and no nutrient losses that can be associated with feed storage.

High alternative feed costs
While this article clearly shows that hydroponic fodder is considerably more expensive than conventional feedstuffs, it assumes that conventional feedstuffs are available and priced competitively. There are many locations in which this is not the case and hydroponic fodder could be more competively priced.

Small-scale producers
Requiring smaller amounts of fodder, small-scale producers may be able to build their own fodder systems for a few hundred dollars. When the investment is low and labor is unpaid, the cost of hydroponic fodder is considerably less.

You can build a mini-fodder system for a minimal cost.

Non-ruminants
Hydroponic fodder may be best-suited to non-ruminants (horses, rabbits, pigs, and poultry) who would benefit more from the changes in the feed due to sprouting (e.g. less starch, more sugars) as compared to ruminants (sheep, goats, and cows) who are less efficient at digesting high quality feed (6). Hydroponic fodder seems ideal for horses, though the research is lacking. A study with rabbits showed no detrimental effect to replacing up to 50 percent of the commercial diet with green fodder (9).

Organic
Hydroponic fodder production seems particularly well-suited to organic producers (6), who already pay high prices for feed or have difficulty sourcing organic feedstuffs. Cereal grains can easily be sprouted in accordance with USDA's Certified Organic Program.

In the future
As competition for land and water increases and feed prices continue to rise, hydroponic fodder could become a viable option for more livestock producers.

References
¹Nutrient Requirements of Small Ruminants (2007) - National Research Council
²Evaluation of animal welfare and milk production of goat fed on
diet containing germinating seeds (2009) - Italian Journal of Animal Science
³Fodder Pro (FarmTek) (2012)
⁴Green fodder production and water use efficiency of some forage crops under
hydroponic conditions (2011) - ISRN Agronomy
⁵Hydroponic fodder production: an analysis of the practical
and commercial opportunity (2011) - The New Zealand Merino Company
⁶Hydroponic fodder systems for dairy cattle (2013) - Iowa State University
⁷Performance of feedlot calves fed hydroponics fodder barley (2011) - J. Ag. Sci & Tech
⁸Improvement of sheep welfare and milk production fed on diet containing
hydroponically germinating seeds - (2009) Italian Journal of Animal Science
⁹Productive response of rabbits fed with green hydroponic oats forage as
partial replacement of commercial concentrate (2011) - Acta Agronomica
¹⁰Productivity and nutritive value of barley green fodder yield in hydroponic
systems (2012) - World Applied Sciences Journal
¹¹Review of hydroponic fodder for beef cattle (2003) - Meat & Livestock Australia
Source:http://www.sheepandgoat.com